Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®

Task 1 Demonstrate an understanding of the various project life cycles and processes. 

• Distinguish between a project, program, and a portfolio. 
• Distinguish between a project and operations. 
• Distinguish between predictive and adaptive approaches. 
• Distinguish between issues, risks, assumptions, and constraints. 
• Review/critique project scope. 
• Apply the project management code of ethics to scenarios (refer to PMI  
• Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct). 
• Explain how a project can be a vehicle for change.  

Task 2 Demonstrate an understanding of project management planning. 

• Describe the purpose and importance of cost, quality, risk, schedule, etc. 
• Distinguish between the different deliverables of a project management  
• plan versus product management plan. 
• Distinguish differences between a milestone and a task duration. 
• Determine the number and type of resources in a project. 
• Use a risk register in a given situation. 
• Use a stakeholder register in a given situation.  
• Explain project closure and transitions. 

Task 3 Demonstrate an understanding of project roles and responsibilities. 

• Compare and contrast the roles and responsibilities of project managers and project sponsors. 
• Compare and contrast the roles and responsibilities of the project team and the project sponsor. 
• Explain the importance of the role the project manager plays (e.g., initiator, negotiator, listener, coach, working member, and facilitator). 
• Explain the differences between leadership and management.  
• Explain emotional intelligence (EQ) and its impact on project management. 

Task 4 Determine how to follow and execute planned strategies or frameworks (e.g., communication, risks, etc.). 

• Give examples of how it is appropriate to respond to a planned strategy or framework (e.g., communication, risk, etc.). 
• Explain project initiation and benefit planning. 

Task 5 Demonstrate an understanding of common problem-solving tools and techniques. 

• Evaluate the effectiveness of a meeting. 
• Explain the purpose of focus groups, standup meetings, brainstorming, etc. 

Task 1 Explain when it is appropriate to use a predictive, plan-based approach. 

• Identify the suitability of a predictive, plan-based approach for the organizational structure (e.g., virtual, colocation, matrix structure, hierarchical, etc.). 
• Determine the activities within each process. 
• Give examples of typical activities within each process. 
• Distinguish the differences between various project components. 

Task 2 Demonstrate an understanding of a project management plan schedule. 

• Apply critical path methods. 
• Calculate schedule variance. 
• Explain work breakdown structures (WBS). 
• Explain work packages. 
• Apply a quality management plan. 
• Apply an integration management plan. 

Task 3 Determine how to document project controls of predictive, planbased projects. 

• Identify artifacts that are used in predictive, plan-based projects. 
• Calculate cost and schedule variances. 

Task 1 Explain when it is appropriate to use an adaptive approach. 

• Compare the pros and cons of adaptive and predictive, plan-based projects. 
• Identify the suitability of adaptive approaches for the organizational structure (e.g., virtual, colocation, matrix structure, hierarchical, etc.). 
• Identify organizational process assets and enterprise environmental factors that facilitate the use of adaptive approaches. 

Task 2 Determine how to plan project iterations. 

• Distinguish the logical units of iterations. 
• Interpret the pros and cons of the iteration. 
• Translate this WBS to an adaptive iteration. 
• Determine inputs for scope. 
• Explain the importance of adaptive project tracking versus predictive, plan-based tracking. 

Task 3 Determine how to document project controls for an adaptive project. 

• Identify artifacts that are used in adaptive projects. 

Task 4 Explain the components of an adaptive plan. 

• Distinguish between the components of different adaptive methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), Scaled Adaptive Framework (SAFe®), Kanban, etc.). 

Task 5 Determine how to prepare and execute task management steps. 

• Interpret success criteria of an adaptive project management task. 
• Prioritize tasks in adaptive project management. 

Task 1 Demonstrate an understanding of business analysis (BA) roles and responsibilities. 

• Distinguish between stakeholder roles (e.g., process owner, process manager, product manager, product owner, etc.). 
• Outline the need for roles and responsibilities (Why do you need to identify stakeholders in the first place?). 
• Differentiate between internal and external roles. 

Task 2 Determine how to conduct stakeholder communication. 

• Recommend the most appropriate communication channel/tool (e.g., reporting, presentation, etc.). 
• Demonstrate why communication is important for a business analyst between various teams (features, requirements, etc.). 

Task 3 Determine how to gather requirements. 

• Match tools to scenarios (e.g., user stories, use cases, etc.). 
• Identify the requirements gathering approach for a situation (e.g., conduct stakeholder interviews, surveys, workshops, lessons learned, etc.). 
• Explain a requirements traceability matrix/product backlog. 

Task 4 Demonstrate an understanding of product roadmaps. 

• Explain the application of a product roadmap. 
• Determine which components go to which releases. 

Task 5 Determine how project methodologies influence business analysis processes. 

• Determine the role of a business analyst in adaptive and/or predictive, plan-based approaches. 

Task 6 Validate requirements through product delivery. 

• Define acceptance criteria (the action of defining changes based on the situation). 
• Determine if a project/product is ready for delivery based on a requirements traceability matrix/product backlog.